PCs damage pockets, environment

PC and software companies are expressing concern for the environment and natural surroundings like never before. Leading PC maker Fujitsu Siemens has come up with an interesting observation. The PC maker pointed out that a whopping 123 million pounds is wasted every year throughout UK simply because the PCs are not properly shut down.

This is a gross human error and simply being too lazy. A lot of hard earned money and energy is getting wasted. All this due to sheer negligence on the part of the individuals.

Leaving the computers on for the entire night can prove to be extremely hazardous. The surrounding environment gets affected to a great extent. The financial losses are also staggering. A survey was carried out wherein a majority of people confessed that they never shut down the PCs.

Experts feel that shutting down the PCs after work should become a policy and a priority for all the companies. As the world in general grapples with energy deficit, UK too laid a broad framework for energy conservation.

The beginning of the “Energy Saving Week” saw a nationwide campaign aimed at educating the people regarding the hazards and its effects on the environment, if the computers and other electrical appliances are not shut down properly. These hazards have a great impact on the climate too.

The energy prices have shot up in the recent past and the wastage of precious energy by not switching off the computers has come in for severe criticism. The magnitude of the problem can be ascertained from the fact that the European Union had to pass a legislation to curb the wastage of energy. This has certainly become a raging topic in Europe. The computers emit thousands of tons of carbon dioxide which is detrimental to human health.

A lot of other electrical appliances such as chargers, digital boxes too emit carbon dioxide. Too much emission of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes climatic changes. It also results in global warming. Excess emissions can also lead to skin diseases and respiratory problems. The “Independent “has made an interesting observation. When left on standby, the homes PCs emit carbon dioxide to the tune of 220,000 tons.

This coupled with the emission from other devices results in the generation of millions of tons of carbon dioxide. People living in London are already facing this hazard by getting black patches on their nose. A lot of energy and power that can be put to productive use is getting wasted. A good 75 percent of the energy consumed by the PCs could be saved, simply by switching off the computer after work.